Storms of Fate
by Leslie4
Summary: A post-Hogwarts tale. A dangerous killer’s escape from Azkaban and the rumors of a dark tide rising again leads Auror Ginny to reluctantly agree to team with Blaise in the hunt for the killer. Ginny-Boy!Blaise Part 3 is now up WIP
1. Default Chapter

Part 1: The Calm Before the Storm 

Ginny subtly turned up the warming charm on her mittens and scarf as the cold wind hit her as she exited Flourish and Blotts. She mentally checked Hermione's name off her To-Buy-For list. With a family as large as the Weasleys were becoming, the adults had decided to draw names for their gifts and she'd picked Hermione. Ginny shuddered as she thought about the gleam that had come into Fred's eyes as he'd drawn his name from the hat and then glanced her way.  She just hoped that whatever it was she got didn't make her blow up like a blueberry like the last "new sensation" for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes had.

She made her way through the throngs of holiday shoppers in Diagon Alley and toward the Leaky Cauldron where she was to meet Luna and Neville. With a quick glance at her watch she noted their watch hands pointed to Leaky Cauldron so she picked up her pace and didn't notice the dark form that had just exited Quality Quidditch Supplies until it was too late.

Blaise emitted a soft oof as the tiny redheaded witch ran into him. He reached out a hand to steady her and scowled when he realized it was Ginny Weasley. "You do have a special talent for ruining my day, Weasley."

Ginny heaved a mental sigh and felt her face flush at his sneering comment. But she didn't know whether it was from embarrassment or irritation. "Well, I did get the highest NEWT scores in irritating Slytherin gits."

Blaise raised an eyebrow at Ginny's comment. "Huh, I would have thought Ron had the highest score on that one."

"Alas, Ron tried but he had a handicap in Hermione. She wouldn't let him curse any of them even for his NEWT testing. I really am sorry I ran into you."  Ginny smiled inwardly, Fred and George had always taught her to choose her words carefully especially if caught in the performance of a prank.

"Well, Voldemort must be wishing he had a coat."

Ginny's eyebrows rose into her hairline at his flippant comment about The Dark Lord that Harry defeated. "Huh?"

"I think hell has truly frozen over. A Gryff just apologized to a Slytherin."

She gathered her bag and started to step around Blaise, as she drew alongside him she grinned, "I would have thought a Slytherin would have recognized the double meaning behind the words better than that."

Blaise finally allowed his smile to show through as Ginny passed him by. Merlin, he loved a good match of wits. He always enjoyed the verbal sparring with the pain in his arse Weasley and not even a threat of the Cruciatus curse would get him to reveal that fact.

~~~~

"I am so sorry I'm late, I ran into Blaise Zabini. literally." Ginny leaned down to give Neville a peck on his cheek before turning to give Luna a welcoming hug. "Now on to happier topics, Happy Christmas." Ginny smiled as she reached inside her purse and pulled out an envelope, which she gave to Luna and Neville.

Neville pushed a brightly colored package that was setting on the table toward Ginny. "Happy Christmas, Ginny."

Ginny's smile grew wider as she looked at the paper that gaily decorated her present. House elves were cavorting on the paper, building snowmen and indulging in a snowball fight. She sputtered as one of the elves missed their target and hit her on the chin.

She turned twinkling eyes to Luna and Neville as she absently wiped the wetness from her chin, "Did you design this paper, Luna?"

Luna nodded enthusiastically, "It's one of my biggest sellers this season."

She carefully slipped her nail under the flap of the envelope that Ginny had handed to them, Luna gasped as she pulled out the present.

"I shrunk it so you can carry it home easily."

Neville leaned over to get a better look at the tiny portrait. Smiling happily at him and waving was a painted version of himself, his beautiful wife holding their daughter, his father-in-law, and his gran. He reached a shaking finger out to carefully caress the smiling faces of the two others that stood next to his grandmother. His parents.

He raised tear-filled eyes to Ginny, "How?"

Tears came to Ginny's eyes as she saw the look of joy and wonder on Neville's face. Ever since Neville had saved her life in the battle with Voldemort she'd wanted to do something special for him and it lifted her heart to think she may have succeeded finally.

"It's a new technique I'm experimenting with. I visited your parents frequently at St. Mungos and had long conversations with your gran and their fellow Aurors to make sure I portrayed them as accurately as I could."

"It's beautiful, Gin. Thanks." Luna squeezed her husband's hand in comfort.

Hoping to lighten the mood Ginny asked Luna, "You put this paper on my gift on purpose didn't you?" Ginny always tore into her presents with abandon in her enthusiasm to get to the gift inside and was constantly teased by her friends and family. 

"We had a bet to see if you'd tear into it still or carefully open so as not to disturb the elves."

Ginny wrinkled her nose at them and was sorely tempted to give in and rip but she imagined the horrified, squeaking screams of the house elves as they ran for cover from the giant hand descending on them and decided against it.

With an exaggerated sigh Ginny carefully began to unwrap her gift trying not to disturb the elves too much. "Ha! Didn't think I could do it did you?"

"Nope." Neville grinned at his friend.

Ginny opened the box and lifted out the album. It seemed like pictures were the theme of gifts this year.  She lightly traced the lettering of her name on the front before opening to look at the pages inside.

She beamed at the picture of her goddaughter gazing up at her. "Thanks guys. I love it."

"Turn to the last page, Gin." Luna bounced excitedly; she didn't want to wait for Ginny to look through all the pictures. "It's the most recent one."

Now curiosity gripped Ginny as she quickly flipped to the back of the book. She scowled as Blaise Zabini peered back at her. "You gave me a picture of Blaise?!"

Luna snickered and elbowed her husband when she realized that Ginny's eyes had missed the other occupant in the picture and had gone straight to Blaise. "Look closer."

Ginny rolled her eyes and looked back at the picture. Blaise Zabini was kneeling with his hands outstretched toward someone that was off camera. She waited to see who else would be entering and gasped in delight as she saw Hannah jerkily walk toward Blaise and he picked her up in a hug.

"She's walking!"

Luna and Neville both beamed, "Just started yesterday. I desperately wanted to floo you to tell you the news and then I thought it would be a great surprise for today."

"It's a lovely surprise." Ginny tamped down on the jealous surge that Hannah had walked for the first time to her godfather, Blaise and she hadn't been there to see it. 

"Did you manage to rearrange your schedule so you can spend Christmas at the Burrow?" 

Ginny wrinkled her freckled nose at Neville, "Yes and No. I'm on call for Christmas and Boxing Day. The Ministry's afraid there might be activity by the Dark Wizarding League on those days so all Aurors are on call." Ginny laughed, "You should have heard mum when I told her I might be called in.  She huffed and threatened to curse Kingsley if he dared call her baby away on Christmas."


	2. Part 2 Storm Clouds Fly Tattered and Sw...

**Part 2: Storm Clouds Fly Tattered and Swift**

Ginny sighed as she kicked off her shoes upon entering her rental.  It had been a long, exhausting day at the Burrow and she was for once eternally thankful that the Ministry had misread the intentions of the Dark Wizarding League. There hadn't been any activities during the Christmas holiday like expected. Tonks felt that since the Aurors were on Amber Alert that the DWL wouldn't make their move, they'd wait until the holidays were over and the Ministry got back to its semi-normal routine.  So far she'd been proven correct. 

She flicked her wand and watched as the fireplace roared to life lending the small room a warm glow. As much as she loved her family and the time they all got together at the Burrow, it was nice to come back to the peace and quiet of her own home. 

Absently humming the latest hit by Oberon's Children, Ginny fixed a glass of wine and grabbed a few blank scrolls to finish her long neglected Auror paper work. That was one task that she truly hated about her job. She had tried to persuade Kingsley Shakelbolt that scroll reports were old fashioned and that the use of recording pensives were the best method for keeping record of Auror cases. Kingsley had just smiled and handed her an empty scroll.

The sound of her name being called snapped Ginny's head up. Tonks' face peered back at her through the flames.

"Wotcher, Tonks."

"Sorry, Ginny I really didn't think we'd have to floo the on-call Aurors 'til after the hols."

Ginny immediately snapped to attention. "The Dark Wizarding League?"

"We believe so. There's been a failed breakout attempt at Azkaban but unofficially it wasn't so failed. Mad-Eye believes that Bellatrix made her escape. So far she is unaccounted for."

"Has anyone told Neville yet?" It had been Neville that had finally captured Bellatrix. The scene flashed in the back of Ginny's mind of Bellatrix pointing her wand at her before Neville saved her life.

"He's already been informed and should be on his way to headquarters. Get here as soon as you can. Okay, Gin?"

Before Ginny could answer, Tonks was gone. All thoughts of her nice relaxing evening evaporated as she grabbed what Ron called her Auror arsenal and apparated to the Ministry.

~~~~

"Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters and Wizengamot Administration Services."

Ginny stepped out of the lift and made her way toward headquarters. She could hear the buzz of excited conversation as she pushed open the double oak doors leading into the offices. The redhead dodged a zooming memo that whizzed past her head on its way to the Chief Auror's office.

Neville absently rubbed the scar on his wrist as he leaned against the cubicle entrance into Kingsley's office. He'd kept the scar, though some of his friends tried to talk him out of it, as a visible reminder of his battle with Bellatrix. Not that the look of pure hatred that Bellatrix had on her face when he'd faced her on the battlefield would ever be erased, but he wanted a physical reminder for others when they looked at him. Kind of like Harry's lightening-shaped scar, a physical reminder of the horrors of war.

"The longer we wait the harder it'll be to track her." Neville had resisted the urge to skive off checking in and track Bellatrix on his own. If he didn't have a family that was depending on him he would have even if his dismissal were the consequence. 

Kingsley briefly spared a glance at Neville. "You know the Hit Wizards are already on the case, Longbottom. OUR main concern will be the Dark Wizarding League."

Ginny gently laid a hand on Neville's arm as she slipped into the empty spot next to him. "Has their been any news from Malfoy yet?"

Draco Malfoy had followed Snape's path and had been the Auror's mole in the Death Eaters and now the Dark Wizarding League. 

"Not yet. There was a cryptic message sent over the red floo network that came from an operative but Miller hasn't verified the sender's identity yet."

Ginny knew better than to ask what the message said. Aurors were told only what they needed to know and the Ministry didn't think Aurors needed to know much. It was one of the reasons that she had put in to be trained as a hit wizard. That and the fact that they operated outside the system. Ever since her possession by Tom in her first year at Hogwarts she had been determined to stop Voldemort and his followers no matter how long it took and by any means necessary. 

"Was Lestrange the only one unaccounted for?" Blaise asked as he joined the small group huddled around Kingsley's door.

Before Kingsley answered a breathless Tonks appeared. "Sorry to break it up but McFadden wants to see Ginny and Blaise in his office."

Ginny's brow furrowed in confusion as she looked at Tonks. Why would McFadden want to see her and Zabini? 

Tonks gave a slight shrug in answer to Ginny's unspoken question. "I'm just the messenger. Best not to keep him waiting."

A rare smile tilted Kingsley's lips as he watched the pair wind their way through the cubicles toward the Head Hit Wizard's office. "What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall at that meeting."

Neville's eyes bounced between Tonks and Kingsley watching their silent communication. "Okay, obviously you're not just the messenger. What's going on?"

"You know the old adage 'be careful for what you wish for'? Well, Blaise and Ginny just got their wish but I don't think it's exactly what they had hoped." Tonks snickered as she unfolded a memo that had landed on Kingsley's desk. 

Kingsley and Neville snapped to attention when Tonks stiffened as she read the memo. "Mad-Eye has been in contact with Draco. We're to meet him at the safe house. Neville, you're temporarily assigned to Kingsley and myself since your partner will be otherwise occupied."

With a longing look at the newest 'Wanted' poster that had been posted under the 10 most wanted Dark Wizards list, Neville resigned himself to going after the Dark Wizarding League and leaving the capture of Lestrange for the Hit Wizards. "What about Ginny's partner?"

"He's being reassigned to Dagilyn and Wolfe." Kingsley answered as he strapped his battle wand to his sleeve holster. 

Tonks' hair morphed from black to grey, her shoulders stooped and the fine laugh lines around her eyes and mouth became deeper.

"You know I don't think I'll ever get used to the ease with which you can change your appearance." Neville smiled at Tonks as he strapped on his battle wand.

"See you at Digsnip." Tonks winked before disapparating.

~~~~

Blaise glanced at Ginny as they made their way to McFadden's office. Her pert little nose was stuck up in the air and her chin was thrust out just begging to be tweaked. He had no idea what had twisted her knickers where he was concerned. At first, he'd put it down to the Slytherin/Gryffindor rivalry but she seemed to at least be civil with Malfoy. He gave a mental shrug and resolved himself that he would never understand Weasley. Blaise rapped his knuckles sharply on the office door and waited for McFadden to invite them in.

"Come!" A muffled voice sounded.

With a smirk and a flourish, Blaise opened the door and indicated that Ginny should enter first.

Ginny rolled her eyes and tried her best to ignore him as she stepped over the threshold.

McFadden kept his back to the door as he was concentrating on a wall map with glowing red dots. A flash of white in the corner caught Ginny's eye and she noticed he wasn't alone. A pale blond woman and a male brunette sat in the only available chairs. They wore the insignia of the Hit Wizard Squad.

Blaise shifted his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably waiting for McFadden to acknowledge their presence. 

Before the silence stretched to almost an unbearable level McFadden asked, "Do you know what these dots indicate?"

Ginny cocked an eyebrow at Blaise before turning to McFadden, "No, sir."

"These are your fellow Hit Wizards."

Before Ginny could protest that she wasn't a Hit Wizard, McFadden pointed to a cluster of five red dots. "Myself, Cassiopeia, Malcolm, Ginny and Blaise." His lips twitched at the shocked expressions the two new Hit Wizards were wearing. "Welcome to the Hit Wizards Squad


	3. Part 3 Between the Heaves of Storms

**Part 3: Between the Heaves of Storms**

Angus McFadden looked at the matching stunned expressions on the faces of his newest recruits. "Because of your unique qualifications and the extenuating circumstances, the regulations have been bent to admit you prematurely into our ranks."

He held up a hand to stop Ginny from interrupting. "This doesn't mean that you wouldn't have been approved under normal circumstances. This isn't preferential treatment. You both passed the recruitment tests at the top ten percent and you come highly recommended by your supervisors. Normally you would be sent to a training facility and placed with a mentor. But with the latest outbreak at Azkaban and the escalation of the Dark Wizarding League you'll be foregoing sanctioned training."

"What about our partners, sir?" Blaise asked. Since his sixth year at Hogwarts he'd watched Neville's back and he wasn't about to stop watching it now. Especially with Bellatrix on the loose. He and Neville had talked about new partners when he'd put in his application for the Hit Wizard Program but that would have been after a month of specialized training.

"Your partners have been temporarily reassigned until we can pair them up with their new assignments. Longbottom is with Tonks and Kingsley and Finch-Fletchley is with Dagilyn and Wolfe."

Ginny's stomach fluttered as she listened to McFadden. She'd been paired with Justin since their days in the DA and he'd been the one to encourage her to send in her application for the Hit Wizard Program, it was going to be very hard to see him with a partner that wasn't her. 

McFadden signaled for everyone to take a seat at the small conference table. "Your acting supervisors will be Cassiopeia and Malcolm until Amber Alert has been downgraded and then you'll be reassigned to your permanent supervisors. Due to the extenuating circumstances you've been assigned to each other as partners."

Ginny felt like she had been hit with a bludger to the stomach. Partners… with Blaise. Her eyes swept over to the dark haired man. It wasn't that she didn't trust Blaise, she did. He'd proven himself long before the final battle with Voldemort. If he hadn't, the fact that Neville and Luna had made him godfather to their daughter would have been enough to earn her trust.  It was his ability to make her feel like her eleven-year old self that caused her to bristle whenever she was near him.

Blaise looked at Ginny out of the corner of his eye to see how she was taking the news. He wasn't quite sure how well he was taking the news himself. You had to be able to trust your partner and he didn't think Ginny would be able to untwist her knickers enough to trust him. With Bellatrix free and the Dark Wizarding League stepping up their attacks, he needed someone that he wouldn't second guess or that wouldn't second guess him.  There was no doubt that he enjoyed matching wits with Weasley and any occasion where he could twist her knickers further he would take advantage of it.  But as a partner, he wasn't so sure.

The tension between the new rookies filled the room and Cassey's eyes flitted between the two. She wasn't sure if it was due to something in their past or the Dark Wizarding League's latest escalation but they would have to get over whatever it was and fast.  She didn't have any doubts that it wasn't due to being thrust into a life and death situation.  The clearance level needed to know the details of their background was enough for her to know they were well acquainted with the dark side of the war.

Angus flicked his wand and a small replica of Knockturn Alley appeared in the center of the table. "The last confirmed sighting of Bellatrix was here a half hour ago. She is believed to have Apparated from here to an unknown location.  Nicholas Crewes is diagnosing her Apparating trail and should have leads to report shortly.  Teams of Hit Wizards have been sent to stake out known sympathizers and the Red Floo Network has been buzzing with possible sightings."

McFadden waved his wand and Knockturn Alley was replaced with a topographical map of Bulgaria. He pointed to one of the snow capped mountains, "I believe Bellatrix is on the move to Bulgaria. There is a strong contingent of the Dark Wizarding League that has taken root there. There have also been rumors about the possible escalation of violence in this area.  Your assignment in Bulgaria is to not only track Bellatrix but to also watch the League's activities there."  

Malcolm tossed two envelopes across the table to Ginny and Blaise. "Here are your documents and maps of the area. Your Passports and Wizarding Certificates have been updated with your new information."

Ginny opened her envelope and wrinkled her brow in confusion. "Borovets? We're going to a resort in Bulgaria?"

"We suspect the Borovets Resort to be a cover for top level League meetings. Unconfirmed reports have stated that Rabastan LeStrange had been spotted in the surrounding area." McFadden pushed his glasses down his nose and peered over the top of them at Ginny and Blaise. "Because of who you are and your involvement in the Second Wizarding War it is unlikely that you will go unnoticed by most and especially the League's top level."

Cassiopeia drew out two small packages and slid them across the table to Ginny and Blaise. "These two have been charmed with the latest spell developed in our labs. It has been field tested and approved for our department's use only. The charm is similar to the Transfigure and Obliviate charms.  The object will Obliviate the memories of those that see you and recognize you. It also will allow you to transform your appearance in their eyes after they've been Obliviated. You'll need to wear them at all times."

Ginny wrinkled her brow as she took her package from Cassiopeia. "Um, how exactly does this work? I mean if we wear these and they're charmed won't it prevent anyone from recognizing us even each other?"

Cassey smiled as she envisioned her fellow Wizards running around confused and suspecting everyone to be in league with the Death Eaters. "It acts like a port key, in that you need to activate it. There is a dial on the back that will start it and the range it affects differs by how far you turn the dial. You can obliviate or change your appearance for an entire room or just a few around you. You won't actually change appearance but those that it affects will think you have."

Blaise's mind was working furiously. The Dark Wizarding League would kill, probably literally, to get this kind of charm. Anyone from the DWL could infiltrate the highest level of power if they were to ever use this charm. "Merlin, can you imagine if someone from the League got their hands on something like this?"

McFadden nodded, "which is why only six people know of its existence and five of them are in this room.  I authorized the study, Cassiopeia's father developed it, and then she and Malcolm field-tested it. Shortly, there will be a leak that the Department of Mysteries is in the testing stages of a Top-Secret Transfiguration Spell. Two Aurors will be sent as bodyguards to accompany the research personnel on their trip to Bulgaria. We believe the bait will be big enough to bring out the top level members of the League in the area."

"But if Blaise and I are the Aurors why do we need the charm? Bellatrix and the others are aware that we became Aurors."

Malcolm smirked and sat back in his chair. "The League is more aware that Cassey and I are Hit Wizards.  Which means you two get to be from the Department of Mysteries and we're your Auror bodyguards. Your scores in Potions, Charms, Transfiguration and Defense were near the top of your class making you both prime candidates for this assignment. Your acts during the Second Wizard War proved that you could think on your feet in tight situations."  His eyes twinkled as they lit on Ginny. "And you're not afraid to take risks."  

Ginny chanced a glance over at Blaise and mentally kicked herself in the arse. She needed to get over her feelings for him if they were to work together as partners. She had been dreaming of going into the Hit Wizards Squad when she had overheard Moody and Kingsley talking about them in hushed tones at Grimmauld Place the summer of her fourth year.  There was no WAY she was going to let her feelings or Blaise's unique talent for being a git to get in the way of her first assignment with the Hit Wizards.


End file.
